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Avoid the Perils of Online Fundraising- Part 1: Advice for People Raising Money

Online fundraising is one of the easiest ways for people to raise money online for a project, but there are risks involved. Donors expect to support a project that will come to fruition. If, for example, you host an online fundraising campaign to cover the cost of producing a new CD, then your donors are going to expect that CD to be released within a reasonable amount of time. If you don’t put the proper forethought into your project, you might end up with a fully funded campaign that is still not enough to move forward with your project. Failures of this type can damage your reputation and will make it more difficult to find donors in the future. Here are two of the most common problems that people who are fundraising face and simple solutions for how to avoid them while running a successful campaign with Donationto.com.

Problem #1 – Underestimating Your Budget
If you’re learning how to fundraise, then it is vital that you take the time to learn exactly how the process works. In most cases you’ll be expected to provide your backers with a reward, and the cost of producing and shipping these items must be calculated into your budget. It is also extremely important to understand the financial aspects of the project that you’re undertaking. For example, if you’re developing a new product, then you’ll need to provide room in the budget for taxes and other business related expenses.

Solution #1
Before you begin to raise money online, you should research similar campaigns. Not only will this give you some new fundraising ideas, but it will also help you determine if you’ve set a realistic and viable goal. DonationTo.com provides several helpful articles as well, and reading through them will provide you with new fundraising ideas and information about proper budgeting. You should also consult a business savvy individual or a tax accountant to get advice about how much of your budget will be spent on taxes. Finally, consider whether or not your campaign requires donor rewards. Although most people have gotten used to receiving them if they donate online, it is not a requirement to do so. Either way, DonationTo.com provides all funding to you immediately via Paypal, and this will make it easier to move forward with your project.

Problem #2 – Not Taking Online Fundraising Seriously Enough
Most people who are learning how to fundraise think that a slick video presentation will take care of everything, but this is not the truth.

Solution #2
It is important to treat your DonationTo.com fundraising page as formal pitch to investors. Even those who can only spare five dollars will be much more likely to donate online if you treat your fundraiser like a serious project. Donors want to feel confident in your ability to successfully raise funds and move forward with your project, so keep that in mind when you’re designing the page, along with all advertising and videos. Make sure that you focus on the charity or project, and show potential donors what makes your vision unique. You should also invite all backers to follow your progress via Facebook, Google+ or Twitter, and let them have the ability to provide feedback and suggestions throughout the process. DonationTo.com has tools available that will allow you to sync your campaign with Facebook and Twitter, and this will make the entire process work much more smoothly.

Take advantage of the knowledge offered by our donation website. The ability to crowd fund will be easily developed by our crowdfunding specialists.